GM Crops

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the final results of the winter oilseed rape field scale evaluations will be published; in what form they will be published; and whether her Department will consult stakeholders before responding to the results.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 3 March 2005
	The results from the farm-scale evaluations of winter oilseed rape are expected to be published in the journal "The Proceedings of the Royal Society" on 21 March 2005. On that day the Scientific Steering Committee, which oversaw the evaluations, and members of the research consortium, who undertook the research, will present the results at an open meeting at the Royal Institution in London. Details of the event are available through the Defra website. The committee is also arranging for a non-technical summary to be published on the same day; this will be available both as a free publication and to download from Defra's website.
	The Government intend to refer the results to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment for advice on their implications. ACRE is proposing to hold an open meeting on 25 May 2005 at which it will take evidence to assist it with formulating the advice required for our response to the results. Details of this event will be finalised shortly and placed on Defra's website. There will also be provision on the web for stakeholders to submit evidence for ACRE's consideration.

Planning Inspectorate

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the consistency guidelines produced by the Planning Inspectorate that relate to rights of way and definition map orders; how they may be amended; and who monitors their accuracy.

Alun Michael: The Planning Inspectorate has produced a document entitled "Definitive Map Orders: Consistency Guidelines". These guidelines were developed in consultation with rights of way inspectors and Defra's rights of way policy division. The Rights of Way Review Committee and, more recently, various rights of way user groups have been consulted over the content of the guidelines. The Inspectorate, in conjunction with Defra, continues to monitor and update the guidelines as changes in legislation and case law make this necessary. Any individual or group that considers that a change to the guidelines is necessary can alert the Planning Inspectorate or Defra's rights of way policy division to this need.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to protect society from the impact of animal diseases;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to improve the health and welfare of kept animals;
	(3)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the spread of bovine TB to new parishes to below the incremental trend of 17.5 confirmed new instances per annum by the end of 2008 will be met;
	(4)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to eradicate BSE by 2010 will be met;
	(5)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the prevalence of scrapie infection by 40 per cent. from 0.33 per cent. to 0.20 per cent. by 2010 will be met;
	(6)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to eliminate fuel poverty in vulnerable households in England by 2010 will be met;
	(7)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to care for the natural heritage;
	(8)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the Public Service Agreement target of moving towards a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2010;
	(9)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 will be met;
	(10)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to increase the use of energy saving technologies;
	(11)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to lead the integration of environment policies across Government and internationally;
	(12)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement targets to protect and improve the (a) rural, (b) urban, (c) marine and (d) global environment;
	(13)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement targets to deliver more customer-focused farming;
	(14)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to promote sustainable, diverse, modern and adaptable farming through domestic and international action;
	(15)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to promote a sustainable, competitive and safe food supply chain;
	(16)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to improve the accessibility of services for rural people;
	(17)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to deliver the UK's World Summit on Sustainable Development commitments in the areas of (a) sustainable consumption, (b) sustainable production, (c) biodiversity, (d) oceans, (e) fisheries and (f) agriculture;
	(18)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to increase the electronic service delivery capability to Common Agricultural Policy payments to 95 per cent. by 31 March will be met;
	(19)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the unit cost of administering Common Agricultural Policy payments by 10 per cent. by 2004–05 will be met;
	(20)  whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the time taken to clear up cases of poor welfare in farmed animals by 5 per cent. by March 2004 was met;
	(21)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the annual incidence of BSE to less than 30 cases by 2006 will be met;
	(22)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the Public Service Agreement target to improve air quality by meeting the National Air Quality strategy objectives for carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particles, sulphur dioxide, benzene and 1–3 butadiene;
	(23)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the Public Service Agreement target to protect the public's interest in relation to environmental impacts and health;
	(24)  whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce fuel poverty among vulnerable households by improving the energy efficiency of 600,000 homes between 2001 and 2004 was met;
	(25)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to enable 25 per cent. of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2005–06 will be met;
	(26)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement targets to promote (a) sustainable management and (b) the prudent use of natural resources domestically and internationally.
	(27)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to enable enhanced EU funding for rural development;
	(28)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to enable enhanced EU funding for environmental conservation;
	(29)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to secure Common Agricultural Policy reforms;
	(30)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to increase agriculture's gross value added per person;
	(31)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to deliver more competitive and sustainable farming;
	(32)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the gap in productivity between the least well performing quartile of rural areas and the English median by 2006 will be met;
	(33)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to enhance opportunity in rural areas;
	(34)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to tackle social exclusion in rural areas;
	(35)  what recent assessment she has made towards the Public Service Agreement target to open up public access to mountain, moor, heath and down by the end of 2005 will be met;
	(36)  what recent assessment she has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to bring 95 per cent. of all nationally important wildlife sites into favourable condition by 2010 will be met;
	(37)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to reverse the long-term decline in the number of farmland birds by 2020;
	(38)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to preserve biological diversity;
	(39)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to promote sustainable development across Government and the country;
	(40)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to make the countryside attractive and enjoyable for all;
	(41)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to deliver thriving economies and communities in rural areas;
	(42)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to promote economic prosperity through sustainable farming, fishing, food, water and other industries that meet consumers' requirements.

Alun Michael: The Department provides regular performance updates against its outstanding Public Service Agreement targets through its annual Departmental Report and its Autumn Performance Report published in spring and autumn respectively. The 2004 versions, which are the most recently published, are available in the House Libraries and online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/deprep/default.htm
	A short summary of progress against our 2002 Spending Review targets can be found in Appendix 4 of the reports, with more detailed information available in Chapter 2.
	The Department also gives regular updates on its performance via HM Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/DEFRA.cfm
	Defra's 2005 Departmental Report is due for publication late spring/early summer 2005.

Departmental Policies

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out, with statistical information relating as closely as possible to the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency, the effect of her Department's policies and actions on the constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

Richard Caborn: The Department's aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries. The Department's policies and actions have had a significant impact on Blackpool, North and Fleetwood since 2 May 1997.
	In 2002 we launched the first ever comprehensive national physical education, school sport and club links strategy with an investment of £459 million. One school sport partnership involving eight School Sport Co-ordinators and 35 Primary Link teachers is based in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood. It has received a Sport England grant of £327,570. To achieve our challenging targets for increased participation in sport and physical activity, we have invested in thousands of new and refurbished public sports facilities since 1997. Sports facilities in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood have benefited from two Sport England Community Capital Lottery grants totalling £514,330.
	We have increased our national funding to the arts in real terms by 60 per cent. from £199 million in 1998–99 to £67 million in 2004–50. Between 1998–99 and 2003–04 funding to Arts Council England, North West increased from £7.6 million to £19.6 million including from 1 April 2003, funding to major national arts organisations in the North West. In 2005–06, the total Arts Council England North West investment in the region will be £28.4 million. Blackpool, North and Fleetwood has benefited from grants to arts organisations and individuals in the North West, including the Blackpool Grand and the North West Disability Arts Forum.
	Culture Online was launched in 2002 to increase access to, and participation in, arts and culture. Many of its projects are aimed at children of school age and at audiences that might not otherwise participate in arts and culture, including those who do not easily have access to arts and culture, people from deprived communities and people with particular educational or physical needs. People in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood will be among those who benefit from Culture Online. Between 2002 and 2004, £13 million was allocated to fund 20 Culture Online projects.
	Through our commitment to public service broadcasting we have helped to foster an environment in which a creative, commercially successful broadcasting industry provides a wide range of UK-made, high quality original programmes catering for all viewers and listeners. We have ensured a secure funding base for the BBC and Channel 4, while giving them the freedom to develop commercial operations which complement and support their public service remit. The Communications Act 2003 includes provisions to ensure that public service broadcasting will continue to have a key role to play in the digital future.
	Our support for, and promotion of, the film and broadcasting industries have contributed to the general success of film-making and television activity in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood area. A considerable amount of television has been filmed in and around Blackpool since 1997, including the forthcoming television drama "Blackpool" and the comedy series "Max and Paddy". The film "Frozen" was filmed in Fleetwood at the end of 2003 and beginning of 2004. This film was launched at the London Film Festival last November and has just won the prize for best cinematography and the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival in the US.
	In November 2000 we introduced free television licences for people aged 75 or over. Information on the number of beneficiaries by constituency is not available. However, according to Department for Work and Pensions records, the number of households in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in 2003–04 was 7,800.
	We have changed the licensing laws to allow people to hold and attend commercial dances on Sunday, to make it easier for restaurants to open an hour later, and to relax the alcohol licensing hours from 11pm on new year's eve to 11am on new year's day in all future years; and we have given the police greater powers to take action against under-age drinking and disorderly and noisy licensed premises. The Licensing Act 2003, when fully implemented, will introduce a streamlined, consistent and fair licensing regime for the provision of alcohol, public entertainment and late night refreshment. It will provide greater choice for consumers, bring regeneration and increased employment opportunities and protect local residents whose lives have been blighted by disturbance and antisocial behaviour.
	The Gambling Bill will, when implemented, transfer responsibility for licensing gambling premises to local authorities. Local people and businesses will be able to make representations about applications for licenses and local authorities will be able to decide not to issue licenses for casino premises. These changes will give local communities, including those in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood, a greater say in the regulation of gambling in their area.
	Tourism across the country has benefited from Government-funded marketing and development activity. In April 2003 we established VisitBritain with a new domestic marketing remit for England, and its successful marketing activities in promoting Britain abroad as an attractive tourist destination, benefit all parts of the country, including Blackpool and Fleetwood. In April 2003, the Regional Development Agencies were given strategic responsibility for tourism in the regions, from which Blackpool and Fleetwood have benefited. In 2003, Blackpool borough council was one of six local authorities to participate in a pilot scheme to promote the Fitness for Purpose initiative to help drive up tourism accommodation standards.
	English Heritage has awarded grants worth £505,500 to Blackpool, North and Fleetwood since 2 May 1997, including £379,000 to North Shore Methodist Church, Blackpool from 2002 to 2004 and £126,500 to Wyre borough council for the Fleetwood Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme from 2002 to 2004.
	In common with all those in the United Kingdom, the public library branches in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood are connected to the internet through the People's Network which was funded through a £120 million Lottery grant and which has put all the United Kingdom's public libraries on-line. In addition, the Department is funding the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council with £5 million over three years to implement the Framework for the Future Action Plan and Library Improvement Programme, which is designed to encourage improvement across the public libraries sector in England.
	The Department has been an energetic advocate of the community and informal learning value of public libraries. Councils in the Northwest area including Blackpool borough council have recognised this value and took part in an initiative called Blackpool Community Network, the result of which was to enable the participating public library service to give public access to a large range of IT facilities in 12 libraries, including Internet Access and MS Office applications. Public libraries in Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency were among those benefiting from the overall project award of £52,000.
	The DCMS/Wolfson Public Libraries Challenge Fund has also supplied an award of £178,297 in 2001–02, towards the Smile initiative in Lancashire. This entailed setting up reader development activities aimed at children and young people who have learning difficulties and their families. These activities were supported by the development of 15 multi-media collections and a specially designed website. A proportion of this award was of benefit to the library service in Fleetwood.
	Information from the National Lottery distributors indicates that since 2 May 1997 Blackpool, North and Fleetwood has benefited from 177 awards totalling over £5.2 million. Of these, 45 awards worth over £2 million were made by the New Opportunities Fund which was established by the Government in 1999. The New Opportunities Fund merged with the Community Fund in June 2004 to form the Big Lottery Fund.

Regional Sports Boards

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list (a) the budgets and (b) the operating costs for each of the Regional Sports Boards in the last year for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 3 March 2005
	Details of the 2004–05 budget for the public expenditure (Exchequer and lottery) of Sport England's regional offices are given in the table.
	
		
			 £000 
			  Awards distributed Direct delivery costs Other running costs Total 
		
		
			 East 9,128 39 989 10,156 
			 East Midlands 14,868 44 1,041 15,953 
			 London 12,802 60 1,066 13,927 
			 North East 11,915 46 930 12,891 
			 North West 26,849 74 1,249 28,172 
			 South East 14,514 51 1,333 15,899 
			 South West 10,394 38 952 11,384 
			 West Midlands 13,183 46 1,061 14,290 
			 Yorkshire 9,054 44 1,022 10,120

Economic Growth

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the quarterly growth rates were for each of the last 17 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 4 March 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question requesting quarterly growth rates for each of the last 17 years. (219895)
	The quarterly growth rates for the chained volume measure of GDP at market prices and GDP at current market prices for each of the last 17 years are shown in the attached table, which I am also placing in the House of Commons Library.
	
		Quarterly growth rates for chained volume measure of GDP at market prices and GDP at current market prices, 1988–2004
		
			   Chained volume measure of GDP at market prices GDP at current market prices 
		
		
			 1988 Q1 1.6 3.0 
			 1988 Q2 0.5 2.2 
			 1988 Q3 1.4 3.5 
			 1988 Q4 0.7 3.1 
			 1989 Q1 0.3 2.0 
			 1989 Q2 0.6 1.5 
			 1989 Q3 0.1 2.4 
			 1989 Q4 0.1 2.1 
			 1990 Q1 0.8 2.0 
			 1990 Q2 0.5 3.1 
			 1990 Q3 -1.2 1.5 
			 1990 Q4 -0.6 0.1 
			 1991 Q1 0.0 1.8 
			 1991 Q2 -0.3 1.3 
			 1991 Q3 -0.4 0.9 
			 1991 Q4 0.1 1.5 
			 1992 Q1 0.3 1.2 
			 1992 Q2 -0.3 0.8 
			 1992 Q3 0.6 0.5 
			 1992 Q4 0.5 0.6 
			 1993 Q1 0.6 1.8 
			 1993 Q2 0.6 1.0 
			 J993 Q3 1.0 2.2 
			 1993 Q4 1.2 1.5 
			 1994 Q1 1.1 1.4 
			 1994 Q2 1.4 1.3 
			 1994 Q3 1.0 1.0 
			 1994 Q4 0.7 2.1 
			 1995 Q1 0.4 1.1 
			 1995 Q2 0.8 1.3 
			 1995 Q3 0.4 1.2 
			 1995 Q4 0.8 1.6 
			 1996 Q1 0.8 1.8 
			 1996 Q2 0.3 1.6 
			 1996 Q3 0.9 1.3 
			 1996 Q4 1.2 1.0 
			 1997 Q1 0.5 2.3 
			 1997 Q2 1.0 1.4 
			 1997 Q3 0.4 0.9 
			 1997 Q4 1.3 1.9 
			 1998 Q1 0.6 1.3 
			 1998 Q2 0,5 1.4 
			 1998 Q3 1.1 2.1 
			 1998 Q4 0.7 0.9 
			 1999 Q1 0.4 0.8 
			 1999 Q2 0.5 1.4 
			 1999 Q3 1.1 1.6 
			 1999 Q4 1.3 1.2 
			 2000 Q1 1.2 2.0 
			 2000 Q2 0.7 0.5 
			 2000 Q3 0.7 1.2 
			 2000 Q4 0.3 0.6 
			 2001 Q1 0.8 1.7 
			 2001 Q2 0.5 1.1 
			 2001 Q3 0.5 0.7 
			 2001 Q4 0.4 1.7 
			 2002 Q1 0.3 0.8 
			 2002 Q2 0.4 1.4 
			 2002 Q3 0.9 1.9 
			 2002 Q4 0.3 0.7 
			 2003 Q1 0.4 1.5 
			 2003 Q2 0.4 0.8 
			 2003 Q3 0.9 2.2 
			 2003 Q4 1.0 1.0 
			 2004 Q1 0.6 1.2 
			 2004 Q2 1.0 1.5 
			 2004 Q3 0.5 0.8 
			 2004 Q4 0.7 1.4

Gershon Report

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much and what percentage of the savings identified by the Gershon Report relate to (a) UK-wide expenditure, (b) Great Britain wide expenditure, (c) Scotland only expenditure, (d) England only expenditure, (e) Wales only expenditure, (f) Northern Ireland only expenditure, (g) England and Wales expenditure and (h) other spending; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The remit for Sir Peter Gershon's review did not include the spending of the devolved Administrations. Where spending is not devolved, Sir Peter's report does not allocate savings to specific areas of the country.

Income Tax

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of income tax liabilities in the latest financial year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) gender and (b) 10-year age bands.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to table 3.2 "Distribution of median and mean income by age range and sex, 2002–03" on the Inland Revenue website http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income distribution/tables3 2.pdf

Job Creation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate is; and what assessment he has made of the trend in the level of job creation in the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The current working age employment rate in the UK is 74.9 per cent. Over the last five years, employment levels have grown by 315,000 jobs a year on average; a growth rate of 1 per cent., and UK employment levels are at a record high.

Residence Changes

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the population changed residence in each year since 1979.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Willetts, dated 7 March 2005
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what percentage of the population changed residence in each year since 1979. (219557)
	The Census obtains information about address changes in the year before the Census. The percentages of people who were listed as having changed address in the 1981, 1991 and 2001 Censuses are given in the table below.
	
		All people—England and Wales
		
			All people Percentage of these who changed address in the year before the Census 
		
		
			 1981 48,521,596 9.45 
			 1991 49,890,277 9.69 
			 2001 52,041,916 12.18 
		
	
	Sources:
	Table 2 in Census 1981 National Migration Great Britain part 2 (10% Tables), table 2 in 1991 Census Migration Great Britain part 2 (10% Tables) and Table KS24 Census 2001 National report for England and Wales part 2
	The 1981 data has been taken from Table 2 in "Census 1981 National Migration Great Britain Part 2 (10% Tables)". The 1991 data has been taken from Table 2 in "1991 Census Migration Great Britain Part 2 (10% Tables)". The 2001 data has been taken from KS24 in the "Census 2001 National Report for England and Wales Part 2". All of these publications are available in the House of Commons Library.
	Data are not available for the other years requested. While ONS produces estimates for internal migration, the main data source used only records the number of moves based on patients moving across Former Health Service Authority boundaries, patients changing their doctor and re-registering. Therefore many local moves are not recorded in this administrative source. This reason means that the percentage of the population moving cannot be calculated from these data.

UK Population (Immigration)

John Stanley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely increase in the population of the UK as a result of immigration in all forms over the next 30 years.

Stephen Timms: The latest (2003-based) population projections by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) were published in September 2004. A note detailing the impact of the assumed level of net migration on projected population growth over the 28 year period from 2003 to 2031 is available from the GAD website at http://www.gad.gov.uk/Population/2003/methodology/mignote.htm.

Departmental Policies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Coventry South constituency, the effects on the constituency of changes to her Department's policies since 1997.

Stephen Twigg: The Coventry South constituency lies within Coventry local education authority. The most recent Key Stage 2 and GCSE and equivalents Achievement for pupils attending schools in Coventry South are given in the following tables.
	
		Key Stage 2 Achievements of 11-year-old pupils attending schools in the Coventry South constituency—Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 and above
		
			  1997 2004 Percentage point improvement 1997 to 2004 
		
		
			 Coventry South—English(6) 60 76 16 
			 Coventry South—Maths(6) 59 70 11 
			 National average—English(7) 63 78 15 
			 National average—Maths(7) 61 74 13 
		
	
	(6) Pupils attending schools in Coventry South constituency.
	(7) The average for all schools in England (including independent schools).
	
		GCSE and equivalents(8) Achievement of 15-year-old pupils(9) attending schools in the Coventry South Constituency
		
			 Percentage of 15-year-olds gaining 1997 2004 Percentage point improvement 1997 to 2004 
		
		
			 Coventry South—5 + A*-C 39.6 47.8 8.2 
			 Coventry South—5 + A*-G 83.9 85.8 1.9 
			 National average—5+ A*-C 45.1 53.7 8.6 
			 National average—5+ A*-G 87.0 88.8 1.8 
		
	
	(8) For 2004 only results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a wide range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2004 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.
	(9) As standard the results reported relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year, i.e. 31 August, and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.
	At national level, standards have improved across all key stages. The Primary and Key Stage 3 National Strategies, together with the measures we have taken to help schools in the toughest areas are continuing to deliver better results.
	Further information by constituency, is provided within the Department's "In Your Area rdquo;;website available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/inyourarea. Where information is not available at the constituency level it has been provided at local education authority level.
	This website allows users to access key facts and local information about education and skills based on postcodes. The data available within the site offers comparisons between 1997 and the latest available year and covers five geographies. These are parliamentary constituency, ward, local authority district, local education authority and Government Office region. England figures are also provided.
	The information available within the website is grouped in a number of broad categories including Literacy and Numeracy at age 11, Literacy and Numeracy at age 14, GCSE/GNVQ results, Pupils with Special Educational Needs, School Initiatives, School Workforce, School Funding and Resources, Children's Social Services, Early Years, Class Sizes, Post-16, Higher Education and Adult Education.
	Additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, my Department is investigating ways in which we can disseminate more information about the effects of our policies at a local level. The In Your Area website will be further developed over the coming months to include additional information about Adult Education, School Funding, School Initiatives, School Performance, School Workforce and Post 16.

Education

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget was for the Brighton and Hove local education authority in each year since 1997–98.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is only available from 2000–01 onwards and is contained within the following table.
	
		Brighton and Hove LEA's total net revenue education budget (10) since 2000–01 (11) Total Education Revenue
		
			  Expenditure(12) (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 88,085,000 
			 2001–02 95,533,000 
			 2002–03 100,379,000 
			 2003–04 106,061,000 
			 2004–05 113,247,000 
		
	
	(10) Financial data is drawn from the net column of the Total Education Revenue Expenditure line of the Section 52 Budget Statement (Table 1) submitted by Brighton and Hove LEA to the department
	(11) Section 52 budget data has only been collected since financial year 2000–01.
	(12) Figures are as reported by the LEA in cash terms rounded to the nearest £1,000.

Education

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were in classes of 31 or more in infant schools and infant classes in primary schools in Brighton and Hove in each year since 1996–97.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary schools (13): number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher—1997 to 2004 Position in January each year
		
			  Brighton and Hove local education authority 
			   Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more 
			  Total pupils in all classes Number of pupils Percentage of pupils (14) 
		
		
			 1997(15) 22,141 10,130 45.8 
			 1998 7,080 3,422 48.3 
			 1999 6,988 2,811 40.2 
			 2000 6,709 2,262 33.7 
			 2001 6,517 408 6.3 
			 2002 6,432 0 0.0 
			 2003 6,353 32 0.5 
			 2004 6,795 31 0.5 
		
	
	(13) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(14) Percentage of pupils in those classes expressed as a percentage of pupils in all classes taught by one teacher.
	(15) Before Local Government Reorganisation (was East Sussex LEA).
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Education

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much capital funding was allocated to schools in Brighton and Hove in each year since 1996–97.

Stephen Twigg: The following table sets out the total capital resources allocated to Brighton and Hove local education authority, and schools in its area, since 1997. Information is not held centrally for 1996–97 when Brighton and Hove was part of East Sussex LEA. Decisions on how resources should be invested in schools are taken by the local education authority in accordance with locally prepared asset management plans.
	
		
			  £000 
			 LEA Brighton and Hove 
		
		
			 1997–98 3,926 
			 1998–99 4,467 
			 1999–2000 6,139 
			 2000–01 8,161 
			 2001–02 29,193 
			 2002–03 6,856 
			 2003–04 7,338 
			 2004–05 13,357 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 2001–02 figures includes Private Finance Initiative credits of £24.5 million
	2. 2004–05 figures include Targeted Capital Funding of £6.8 million

Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Huddersfield constituency, the effects on Huddersfield of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997, with particular reference to (a) exam results, (b) university applications, (c) teaching staff numbers and (d) school funding.

Stephen Twigg: The Huddersfield constituency lies within Kirklees local education authority. The most recent Key Stage 2 and GCSE and equivalents achievement for pupils attending schools in Huddersfield are given in the following tables:
	(a) Examination results
	
		Key Stage 2 achievements of 11-year-old pupils attending schools in the Huddersfield constituency
		
			 Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 and above 1997 2004 Percentage point improvement 1997–2004 
		
		
			 Huddersfield—English(16) 51 68 17 
			 Huddersfield—Maths(16) 51 66 15 
			 National average—English(17) 63 78 15 
			 National average—Maths(17) 61 74 13 
		
	
	(16) Pupils attending schools in Huddersfield constituency.
	(17) The average for all schools in England (including independent schools).
	
		GCSE and equivalents(18) achievement of 15-year-old pupils(19) attending schools in the Huddersfield constituency
		
			 Percentage of 15-year-olds gaining 1997 2004 Percentage point improvement 1997–2004 
		
		
			 Huddersfield—5+ A*-C 33.5 40.5 7.0 
			 Huddersfield—5+ A*-G 81.4 86.2 4.8 
			 National average—5+ A*-C 45.1 53.7 8.6 
			 National average—5+ A*-G 87.0 88.8 1.8 
		
	
	(18) For 2004 only results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a wide range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2004 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.
	(19) As standard the results reported relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.
	(b) University applications:
	Applications are not held at constituency level. The available information is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers 18 to 20-year-old applicants accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HND courses.
	
		18 to 20-year-old applicants accepted through UCAS to full-time undergraduate courses at UK institutions
		
			  1996/97 2003/04 Increase (percentage) 
		
		
			 Kirklees LEA 1,368 1,754 28 
			 National (England) 170,016 218,640 29 
		
	
	Source:
	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
	(c) Teaching staff:
	
		FTE 1 of regular qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools in England 2
		
			  Primary Secondary 
			  1997 2004 difference 1997 2004 difference 
		
		
			 Huddersfield constituency(22) 350 340 -10 300 320 20 
			 Kirklees LEA(23) 1,600 1,650 50 1,540 1,620 80 
			 England(23) 190,000 195,100 5,100 189,430 211,000 21,570 
		
	
	(20) FTE—Full Time Equivalent is the total number of full-time teachers plus the equivalent number of part-time teachers based on the proportion of the full-time rate that they are employed.
	(21) The position at January of each year, includes Middle Schools as deemed.
	(22) Source : Annual School Census.
	(23) Source: DfES 618G survey.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	
		Number of teaching assistant 1 in maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special schools and pupil referral units in England 2
		
			  1997 2004 difference 
		
		
			 Huddersfield constituency(26) 170 310 140 
			 Kirklees LEA(27) 580 1,280 700 
			 National(27) 60,600 133,400 72,800 
		
	
	(24) Teaching assistants includes nursery assistants, special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil support staff.
	(25) The position at January of each year.
	(26) Source: Annual School Census.
	(27) Source: DfES 618G survey.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	(d) School funding:
	
		Real terms(28) funding per pupil aged 3 to 19
		
			Change since 1997 
			  1997/98 2004/05 £ Real Percentage Real 
		
		
			 Kirklees LEA 2,770 3,790 1,020 37 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,770 3,750 990 36 
			 National 2,900 3,850 950 33 
		
	
	(28) Real terms figures are based on GDP deflators as at 30 June 2004 (2003–04 prices).
	Notes:
	1. 2004–05 and 2003–04 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited. Updates will be available in the autumn.
	2. Figures reflect education Standard Spending Assessment/Education Formula Spending settlement (all sub-blocks) plus revenue grants in DfES departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to EFS pupils aged 3 to 19.
	3. Figures exclude Education Maintenance Allowance and grants not allocated at LEA level and the pensions transfer to EFS and Learning and Skills Council for 2003–04 and 2004–05.
	4. The pupil numbers used are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3yos maintained pupils, estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	5. 1997–98 figures for LEAs subject to local government reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.
	6. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 so may not sum.
	At national level, standards have improved across all key stages. The Primary and Key Stage 3 National Strategies, together with the measures we have taken to help schools in the toughest areas are continuing to deliver better results.
	Further information by constituency, is provided within the Department's 'In Your Area' website available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/inyourarea. Where information is not available at the constituency level it has been provided at local education authority level.
	This website allows users to access key facts and local information about education and skills based on postcodes. The data available within the site offers comparisons between 1997 and the latest available year and covers five geographies. These are Parliamentary constituency, Ward, Local Authority District, Local Education Authority and Government Office Region. England figures are also provided.
	The information available within the website is grouped in a number of broad categories including Literacy and Numeracy at age 11, Literacy and Numeracy at age 14, GCSE / GNVQ results, Pupils with Special Educational Needs, School Initiatives, School Workforce, School Funding and Resources, Children's Social Services, Early Years, Class Sizes, Post 16, Higher Education and Adult Education.
	Additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, my Department is investigating ways in which we can disseminate more information about the effects of our policies at a local level. The In Your Area website will be further developed over the coming months to include additional information about Adult Education, School Funding, School Initiatives, School Performance, School Workforce and Post 16.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Public Service Agreement target to increase the proportion of 19-year-olds who achieve qualifications equivalent to five GCSEs at grades A* to C by three percentage points between 2002 and 2004 was met; and what recent assessment she has made of whether the target for 2006 to increase the proportion by a further three percentage points will be met.

Stephen Twigg: A Statistical First Release published on 24 February showed that the target for a three percentage points increase in the proportion of 19-year-olds achieving qualifications equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C had not been met. This is a disappointing result, though this was a very challenging target and there are signals from other sources that we are making some progress. This reinforces the importance of the radical proposals for 14–19 year old education announced in the recent White Paper on 14–19 education.
	Achieving the 2006 target of a further three percentage points will be tough but achievable because of continuing improvement in attainment at 16 as well as our major investment in key reforms such as education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and apprenticeships.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the public service agreement target to make significant progress year on year to reduce rates of non-completion in higher education was met in 2004.

Kim Howells: Information on non-completion rates is published annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The latest figures, which show that rates have decreased since 1997, are given in the table.
	
		Projected non-completion rates(31) in English HEIs—students on full-time first degree courses 
		
			 Students starting courses in:(32) Non-completion rate (percentage) 
		
		
			 1997 16.1 
			 1998 15.8 
			 1999 15.9 
			 2000 15.0 
			 2001 14.1 
		
	
	(31) HESA use a method of projection applied to the cohort of students starting full-time first degree courses in a particular year, based on the assumption that they will move through the system in the same way as current students.
	(32) The majority of these students will be on three-year degree courses, so that those entering in 2001 will be scheduled to complete their courses in 2004.
	Source:
	"Performance Indicators in Higher Education", published by HESA.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated cost to public funds is of achieving the public service agreement target to increase participation in higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18 to 30 years.

Kim Howells: The majority of the funding made available to the HE sector in England will contribute towards the target to increase participation in higher education. So, too, does funding provided outside of the HE sector which delivers improved attainment in pre-HE learning.
	The following table sets out the details of the funding available to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for the three year period from 2005–06. This gives annual increases in total recurrent grant for teaching of £255/208/209 million and for research of £133/95/90 million. Costs beyond 2007–08 will be dependant on the outcome of the forthcoming spending review.
	
		Financial year: all figures (except the unit of teaching funding which is £ real terms) are £ million in cash terms
		
			  2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 (a) SR2004 outcome recurrent resources for HEFCE and TTA(33) 4,594 4,817 5,039 
			 (b) Of which HEFCE(34) 4,339 4,547 4,753 
			 (c) Public contributions to fees(35) 434 n/a n/a 
			 (d) Student contributions to fees(35) 508 n/a n/a 
			 Total (a+c+d) 5,536   
			 
			 (f) Recurrent resources for research(36) 1,204 1,299 1,389 
			 
			 Resources for capital grants:   
			 (g) IT and other capital 442 468 472 
			 (h) Research 207 236 266 
			 
			 (i) Cost of capital and depreciation(37) -7 -7 -7 
			 Total HEFCE (b+f+g+h+i) 6,186 6,544 6,874 
			 
			 Student numbers (FTEs in thousands)(38) 1,185 1,209 1,232 
			 
			 Real terms unit of funding for teaching(39) 3,490 3,490 3,490 
		
	
	(33) The amounts set out above are the council's resource budgets. They represent the maximum amount of resource that the council may consume in pursuance of the priorities agreed with the Department for the spending review period. The 2007–08 budget includes £9.5 million departmental end-year flexibility planned to be carried forward from 2005–06 and 2006–07. Figures are net of a £67/69/70 million transfer of AHRB resources.
	(34) Figures assume a baseline transfer of £255/270/286 million to the TTA. The resources for each year include funding of £18 million from the Department of Health for clinical academicians' pay and £5 million funding transferred to HEFCE for the dance and drama scheme.
	(35) Figures on the contribution to fees include students to be funded through the TTA.
	(36) The resources exclude funding from DTI and OST for the Science Research Innovation Fund and HE Innovations Fund.
	(37) Capital costs and depreciation are part of the council's resource budgets and the maximum amount of resources it may consume. The amounts shown are subject to review and will be discussed further with the council.
	(38) Student numbers are net of students to be funded through the TTA.
	(39) Figures are in 2003–04 prices rounded to nearest £10. The real terms level of funding for teaching costs are derived from the total level of recurrent resources available to HEFCE to support teaching (ie excluding research, capital and postgraduate stipends), full-time equivalent numbers of students estimated using the "whole year count" methodology discussed with HEFCE and the GDP deflators published by HM Treasury on 3 December 2004.

Defence Employment (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people worked for the Pay and Personnel Agency (a) in 2003–04 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available; how many were employed in Scotland in each case; and what the personnel costs of the agency (i) were in 2003–04 and (ii) are expected to be in 2004–05.

Ivor Caplin: The Pay and Personnel Agency (PPA) employed 790 full-time equivalent staff in 2003–04. The figures are published in UK Defence Statistics 2004 at Table 2.6. PPA's personnel costs are contained in the agency's annual report and accounts for 2003–04, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Our annual report and accounts for 2003–04 can also be viewed on our external website www.ppa.mod.uk and the main MOD website www.mod.uk/index.shtml
	In 2004–05 the number of people expected to be working for the PPA is 800. The personnel costs in 2004–05 are expected to be £15.15 million. The final figures will appear in the annual report for 2004–05 which will be formally laid before the House before the summer recess at which time copies will be made available in the House of Commons Library and again on the PPA and MOD websites. The Pay and Personnel Agency had no staff working in Scotland in either 2003–04 or 2004–05.

Defence Expenditure (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2001–02 the RAF Training Group Defence Agency spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The following table details the civilian personnel employed by Training Group Defence Agency (TGDA) in Scotland. Details of Service personnel employed in this location are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, local figures for financial year 2004–05 indicate that there are no more than approximately 60 Service personnel employed by TGDA in Scotland.
	
		
			  Personnel budget 1 spent in Scotland £ million Percentage of total TGDA personnel budget TGDA civilian personnel employed in Scotland 
		
		
			 1997–98 2.260 1.4 30 
			 1998–99 2.368 1.0 40 
			 1999–2000 2.477 1.0 40 
			 2000–01 2.588 1.0 40 
			 2001–02 2.725 0.9 40 
		
	
	(40) Personnel budget includes salary, training, travel and subsistence and consumable costs.

Defence Spending (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much and what percentage of its personnel budget for financial years (a) 2001–02, (b) 2000–01, (c) 1999–2000, (d) 1998–99 and (e) 1997–98 (i) the Defence Estates Agency, (ii) the Defence Dental Agency and (iii) the Defence Communications Services Agency spent in Scotland; how many personnel were employed by each Agency in Scotland in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The figures for personnel budget spend for each agency, and staff figures, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Personnel budget in Scotland 
			 Financial year (£ million) Percentage of total personnel budget Staff employed in Scotland 1 
		
		
			 Defence Estates (DE) 
			 2001–02 (42)3.440 7.53 Civilian 90 
			Service 5 
			 2000–01 (42)2.637 6.86 Civilian 80 
			Service 1 
			 1999–2000 (42)321 6.64 Civilian 70 
			Service 0 
			 1998–99 (42)1.244 3.92 Civilian 70 
			Service 0 
			 1997–98 (45)— (45)— Civilian 80 
			Service (45)— 
			 Defence Dental Agency (DDA) 
			 2001–02 1.848 5 Civilian 10 
			Service 41 
			 2000–01 1.244 5 Civilian 10 
			Service (45)— 
			 1999–2000 1.557 5 Civilian 10 
			Service (45)— 
			 1998–99 0.939 3 Civilian (44)— 
			Service (45)— 
			 1997–98 (45)— (45)— Civilian (44)— 
			Service (45)— 
			 Defence Communications Services Agency (DCSA) 
			 2001–02 (45)— (45)— Civilian 100 
			Service (45)— 
			 2000–01 (45)— (45)— Civilian 60 
			Service (45)— 
			 1999–2000 (45)— (45)— Civilian 20 
			Service (45)— 
			 1998–99 (45)— (45)— Civilian (44)— 
			Service (45)— 
			 1997–98 (45)— (45)— Civilian (45)— 
			Service 3, 5— 
		
	
	(41) Civilian staff figures are provided by Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) and are quoted in full-time equivalent (FTE) terms, and based on new definitions agreed in 2004. Part-time staff hours are therefore counted proportionately to normal conditioned hours. Unless indicated otherwise, figures indicate staff strength at the start of each financial year. Service personnel figures for Scotland are not held centrally; however, where local figures are available these have been shown. It should be noted that the purpose of collating staff figures, and the statistical method of measurement, may vary between individual agencies and DASA.
	(42) The personnel costs of the Defence Estates Agency includes salaries, performance pay or bonuses, overtime, allowances, social security costs and other pension costs but excludes the cost of early retirements.
	(43) The Defence Communication Services Agency was formed in April 1998; therefore figures for 1997–98 cannot be provided.
	(44) fewer than 5.
	(45) not known, or available only at disproportionate cost.

Defence Spending (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for financial years (a) 2001–02, (b) 2000–01, (c) 1999–2000, (d) 1998–99 and (e) 1997–98 the Defence Aviation Repair Agency spent in Scotland (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: DARA was launched on 1 April 1999.
	The table shows the personnel budget spend and number of personnel employed in Scotland in the Defence Aviation Repair Agency by Financial Year since 1999.
	
		
			 Financial year Personnel budget in Scotland (£ million) Percentage of total personnel budget spent in Scotland Staff employed in Scotland 1 
		
		
			 2001–02 (47)10.141 (47)7.90% Civilian 370 
			Service 0(47) 
			 2000–01 (48)— (48)— Civilian 360 
			Service 0(47) 
			 1999–2000 (48)— (48)— Civilian 340 
			Service 0(47) 
		
	
	(46) Civilian staff personnel figures are provided by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) and are quoted in full-time equivalent (FTE) terms. Figures indicate staff strength at the start of each financial year and are based on the new definition of civilian personnel which came into effect on 1 April 2004.
	(47) Information provided by the Defence Aviation Repair Agency from locally held records.
	(48) Not known, or available only at disproportionate cost.
	Both civilian and Service personnel data by Agency are collated annually at 1 April and presented in Table 2.6 of UK Defence Statistics, a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library. Further information on personnel figures is also available on the DASA website at www.dasa.mod.uk.

Parachutists

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the parachute battalions are in receipt of parachute pay.

Ivor Caplin: Figures for the members of parachute battalions in receipt of parachute pay are as follows:
	
		Number of members of the three parachute battalions in receipt of parachute pay as at the 1 January 2005
		
			 Parachute battalion Number receiving parachute pay 
		
		
			 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment 540 
			 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment 515 
			 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment 505 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures quoted are as at 1 January 2005 and are for UK Regular Trained Army Officers and Soldiers only and therefore exclude TA, Mobilised Reserves, Full Time Reserve Service, Gurkhas and Home Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.
	2. The figures do not include officers and soldiers in the Parachute Regiment that are serving outside the battalion, or personnel from other cap badges that are attached to the battalion. The officer element excludes personnel with the rank of colonel and above.
	3. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Alcohol Policies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the report, "Alcohol Policies", produced in 1979 by the Central Policy Review Staff.

David Miliband: In common with other Cabinet Office records, the report will be considered for transfer to the National Archives after 30 years. The 1979 report is due to be transferred to the National Archives in 2010.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average Band D level of council tax was in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2004–05 in (i) two-tier local government areas, (ii) unitary councils in England, (iii) Metropolitan boroughs and (iv) London boroughs.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is shown in Table 2.2f of "Local Government Financial Statistics, England, No. 15 2004", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The table can also be found at http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/stats/lgfs/lgfs15/tables/lgfs15–2-2f.xls.

Local Government

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the 20 least populous lower tier local authorities in England are, measured by population per hectare; what the average annual earnings per capita in each of those local authorities was in the last year for which figures are available; what the Band D council tax is in 2004–05 in each of those authorities; and what percentage of average annual earnings Band D council tax represents in each authority.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is tabled as follows. The table includes the 24 least populous lower tier local authorities under the definition used in the question so as to include all authorities with an average at the lower level threshold of 0.8 people per hectare.
	
		
			  Population per hectare(50) Mean gross annual earnings in 2004 2 Average Band D area council tax for 2004–05 Average Band D area council tax for 2004–05 as a percentage of mean gross annual earnings in 2004 
		
		
			 Eden 0.2 16,507 1,227 7.4 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 0.3 12,329 1,254 10.2 
			 Tynedale 0.3 20,134 1,268 6.3 
			 Alnwick 0.3 17,285 1,259 7.3 
			 Teesdale 0.3 21,891 1,242 5.7 
			 Ryedale 0.3 17,919 1,215 6.8 
			 Richmondshire 0.4 20,782 1,219 5.9 
			 South Shropshire 0.4 17,517 1,264 7.2 
			 West Devon 0.4 n/a 1,255 n/a 
			 Craven 0.5 19,176 1,199 6.3 
			 West Somerset 0.5 20,115 1,177 5.9 
			 Torridge 0.6 16,964 1,203 7.1 
			 Hambleton 0.6 22,716 1,128 5.0 
			 South Lakeland 0.7 23,362 1,237 5.3 
			 North Cornwall 0.7 16,887 1,144 6.8 
			 Cotswold 0.7 23,166 1,206 5.2 
			 West Lindsey 0.7 18,445 1,152 6.2 
			 Allerdale 0.8 19,121 1,222 6.4 
			 East Lindsey 0.8 18,213 1,085 6.0 
			 Mid Devon 0.8 19,569 1,240 6.3 
			 Kennet 0.8 23,277 1,171 5.0 
			 Castle Morpeth 0.8 20,950 1,292 6.2 
			 Herefordshire 0.8 17,371 1,178 6.8 
			 North Devon 0.8 16,828 1,234 7.3 
		
	
	n/a = not available, because the earnings figure for West Devon is unreliable.
	(50) Population figures are ONS mid-year estimates for 2003.
	(51) Figures for all employee jobs where the person has been in post for at least a year, taken from the 2004 ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (including supplementary information). The figures are for residents of the area shown.

London Safety Plan

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many responses to the public consultation that the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority has conducted on the Draft London Safety Plan (a) supported and (b) opposed the proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: I understand the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority's 12 week consultation on the Draft London Safety Plan ended on Monday 7 February 2005. Responses from stakeholders are currently being analysed and will be reported to the Authority meeting on 17 March 2005, at which time the Authority will consider the final Plan in the light of the views expressed.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to promote better policy integration nationally, regionally and locally;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to work with Departments to help them meet their public service agreement floor targets for neighbourhood renewal and social inclusion;
	(3)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to reduce the persistent gap in growth rates between the English regions over the long-term;
	(4)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to improve the delivery and value for money of local services by introducing comprehensive performance assessments and action plans;
	(5)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the Public Service Agreement target to secure progressive improvements in local authorities' scores in performance assessments;
	(6)  whether the public service agreement target to secure overall annual improvements in the cost effectiveness of local services by 2 per cent. or more was met in 2004;
	(7)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to assist local government in achieving 100 per cent. capability in electronic delivery of priority services in ways that customers will use will be met by 2005;
	(8)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to achieve a better balance between housing availability and the demand for housing in all English regions while protecting valuable countryside around our towns, cities and in the green belt and the sustainability of existing towns and cities;
	(9)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target for all local planning authorities to have completed local development frameworks by 2006 will be met;
	(10)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target for all local planning authorities to perform at or above best value targets for development control by 2006 will be met;
	(11)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to bring all social housing into decent condition by 2010 will be met;
	(12)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to increase the proportion of private housing in decent condition occupied by vulnerable groups by 2010 will be met;
	(13)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to deliver better services;
	(14)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to promote high-quality, customer-focused services;
	(15)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce the number of accidental fire-related deaths in the home by 20 per cent. by 2010 will be met;
	(16)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce the number of deliberate fires by 10 per cent. by 2010 will be met;
	(17)  what assessment he has made of his Department's success in meeting the public service agreement target to provide the opportunity by the end of this Parliament for a referendum on regional government in regions where there is a demand for it.

Yvette Cooper: Performance against all the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's public service agreement (PSA) targets are reported in our departmental reports. Since 2002, performance has also been reported in our autumn performance reports. For these PSA targets, set during the 2002 spending review, the most recent assessment of progress was published in the autumn performance report 2004 (Cm 6421, published December 2004). The next assessment will be given in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's annual report for 2004–05, due to be published in spring 2005.
	The SDA targets, revised in 2003, for accidental fire related deaths and deliberate fires were reported against in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's annual report 2004 and will next be reported against in the 2005 annual report. From April 2005, these SDA targets have been included in a new PSA target adopted under the 2004 spending review and will then be reported against in both the future autumn performance and annual reports.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to narrow the gap in health, education, crime, worklessness, housing and liveability outcomes between the most deprived areas and the rest of England by 2010;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to make sustainable improvements in the economic performance of all English regions by 2008;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of local government in leading and delivering services to all communities by 2008, will be met;
	(4)  what recent assessment has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to ensure that the planning system delivers sustainable development outcomes at national, regional and local levels;
	(5)  what recent progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target to lead the delivery of cleaner, safer and greener public spaces.

Yvette Cooper: These public service agreement (PSA) targets, set during the 2004 spending review do not become live until April 2005. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister shall report progress against these targets in our autumn performance report for 2005, and then in subsequent annual and autumn performance reports.
	Work began last year preparing for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's new and revised PSA targets and technical notes, setting out how we were to measure progress against these targets. These have been published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at: (http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm about/documents/divisionhomepage/ 031997.hcsp).
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has also recently published its five-year plans, Sustainable Communities: People Places and Prosperity (Cm 6425) and Sustainable Communities: Homes for All (Cm 6424), which set out how we will be tackling major challenges over the next five years.

Water Mills

Joan Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in what circumstances planning permission may be given for water mills to provide renewable energy where they are located in green belt areas.

Keith Hill: "Planning Policy Guidance note 2: Green Belts" (PPG2) sets out the Government's policies on development in the green belt. Most forms of development are regarded as inappropriate development in the green belt (and by definition harmful). It would be for an applicant to show that very special circumstances existed which clearly outweighed the harm that inappropriate development would cause. PPG2 sets out the forms of development that would be not inappropriate in the green belt. Water mills are not among these.
	"Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy" advises that very special circumstances which might outweigh the harm caused by inappropriate development in the green belt could (and it will depend on the facts of the case) include the wider environmental benefits associated with increased production of energy from renewable sources.

Housing

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with investigations established to examine the actions of the Accounting Officer of the Housing Executive in relation to the absence of proper contract procedures.

John Spellar: There have not been any investigations, nor are any planned, in relation to the absence of proper contract procedures within the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
	The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts Report "Housing the Homeless" (Twenty first Report of Session 2003/04) referred to a specific contract concerning the removal and storage of furniture for the homeless households. The Housing Executive fully acknowledged the shortcomings in the procurement of the particular contract and has fundamentally changed its contract policy and procedures to reflect Government's Constructing Excellence programme.

Invest Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total investment by Invest Northern Ireland in each Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency was in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: The following table provides information relating to offers made to clients by parliamentary constituency area during the five years up to end March 2004. Included is the total amount of planned investment to which these offers contributed. Invest NI's information is provided for the years 2002–03 and 2003–04. Information prior to 2002–03 is based on funding provided by two of Invest NI's legacy agencies—the Industrial Development Board and the Local Enterprise Development Unit.
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 
			 Parliamentary constituency Number of offers Assistance (£) Investment 1 (£) Number of offers Assistance (£) Investment 1 (£) 
		
		
			 Belfast East 97 15,849,537 91,916,715 49 1,607,142 5,587,276 
			 Belfast North 111 4,372,363 13,098,466 47 11,735,957 25,691,738 
			 Belfast South 180 23,151,235 81,459,645 93 8,492,267 32,968,940 
			 Belfast West 61 7,155,105 21,276,136 41 3,021,986 11,947,752 
			 East Antrim 86 4,872,375 37,709,491 41 21,309,617 168,909,759 
			 East Londonderry 120 10,226,718 62,696,675 64 8,242,683 37,925,715 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 171 10,457,547 46,837,774 87 3,065,387 22,995,241 
			 Foyle 229 7,748,567 28,755,865 88 11,344,169 35,429,187 
			 Lagan Valley 156 1,650,378 8,471,809 69 1,506,181 10,573,848 
			 Mid Ulster 269 2,364,510 12,100,912 144 3,274,312 18,874,843 
			 Newry and Armagh 171 2,019,032 11,641,076 91 4,348,743 15,427,292 
			 North Antrim 172 1,641,886 9,953,677 78 2,689,389 16,831,426 
			 North Down 91 3,376,556 14,995,659 56 778,026 4,101,844 
			 South Antrim 132 5,226,745 33,726,003 79 4,650,258 51,409,794 
			 South Down 146 1,728,083 10,014,158 62 1,228,539 5,951,029 
			 Strangford 113 2,225,269 11,308,744 63 2,956,846 10,707,120 
			 Upper Bann 159 4,224,261 30,813,380 85 2,159,066 9,723,463 
			 West Tyrone 107 1,160,461 3,850,897 73 1,798,859 6,833,958 
			 Yet to be determined(53) 2 19,000 20,000 0 0 0 
			 Grand total 2,573 109,469,628 530,647,082 1,310 94,209,427 491,890,225 
		
	
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 
			 Parliamentary constituency Number of offers Assistance (£) Investment(52) (£) Number of offers Assistance (£) Investment(52) (£) 
		
		
			 Belfast East 46 5,760,102 29,021,415 58 2,103,025 8,512,108 
			 Belfast North 58 5,670,981 14,380,030 45 7,565,191 20,071,672 
			 Belfast South 78 5,780,647 33,336,606 137 15,943,868 38,581,673 
			 Belfast West 29 4,978,855 26,254,575 47 4,154,127 16,518,873 
			 East Antrim 46 1,633,322 11,499,761 66 6,249,254 21,210,100 
			 East Londonderry 44 2,006,291 6,984,996 59 4,168,042 13,950,428 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 70 4,660,406 28,325,773 69 5,720,677 22,971,162 
			 Foyle 69 5,230,250 20,922,057 94 14,414,920 105,655,505 
			 Lagan Valley 64 1,385,337 7,418,796 54 1,462,738 6,682,614 
			 Mid Ulster 111 3,596,184 18,695,873 143 4,056,819 20,082,706 
			 Newry and Armagh 98 2,460,108 14,561,864 84 6,258,098 22,320,265 
			 North Antrim 68 2,261,799 12,919,845 72 2,387,964 14,215,617 
			 North Down 43 960,839 4,989,873 44 1,347,025 6,467,355 
			 South Antrim 72 7,033,902 76,712,254 86 22,877,977 142,862,810 
			 South Down 63 5,417,186 20,525,114 70 2,439,960 12,649,429 
			 Strangford 46 2,277,552 10,315,133 62 2,148,990 9,258,178 
			 Upper Bann 67 5,061,360 26,992,790 78 16,626,275 73,276,818 
			 West Tyrone 52 4,348,708 31,648,319 52 4,786,843 20,172,661 
			 Yet to be determined(53) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Grand total 1,124 70,523,829 395,505,074 1,320 124,711,793 575,459,974 
		
	
	(52) Investment totals include assistance offered.
	(53) 'Yet to be determined' relates to offers made to businesses which have not as yet determined a precise location.
	Note:
	An additional £21,211,335 was offered in 2002–03 that could not be allocated by area.
	Figures for 2003–04 remain provisional until the publication of the Invest NI Annual Report 2003–04.

Invest Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total Northern Ireland Tourist Board investment in each Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency was in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: Information requested in relation to funding provided by Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Constituency 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Total 
		
		
			 Across all constituencies and cross-border(54) 76,143 54,740 34,842 101,934 101,558 369,216 
			 Belfast East 2,200 2,000 10,500 17,500 20,000 52,200 
			 Belfast North 232,515 15,529 5,000 4,000 1,000 258,044 
			 Belfast South 1,335,651 1,941,769 16,686 13,801 0 3,307,907 
			 Belfast West 20,000 741,500 20,000 20,000 0 801,500 
			 East Antrim 74,613 1,004,280 132,330 400 500 1,212,123 
			 East Londonderry 680,564 424,041 394,880 10,189 30,014 1,539,688 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 513,891 1,529,299 216,671 9,977 41,858 2,311,695 
			 Foyle 671,388 516,529 2,606,564 76,113 11,655 3,882,249 
			 Lagan Valley 73,716 23,837 27,788 3,800 2,022 131,163 
			 Mid Ulster 37,786 230,574 119,655 118,765 20,790 527,571 
			 Newry and Armagh 387,311 1,442,727 1,749,394 57,275 23,991 3,660,697 
			 North Antrim 952,746 1,060,944 119,013 68,066 36,120 2,236,889 
			 North Down 43,939 12,527 10,700 28,700 8,000 103,866 
			 South Antrim 52,856 93,735 98,842 8,000 0 253,433 
			 South Down 2,335,992 821,966 286,707 18,490 10,552 3,473,707 
			 Strangford 69,390 248,675 5,000 46,737 57,376 427,177 
			 Upper Bann 2,059 46,136 13,806 500 0 62,501 
			 West Tyrone 356,287 235,418 4,369 4,369 0 600,443 
			 Total 7,919,045 10,446,226 5,872,748 608,614 365,435 25,212,068 
		
	
	(54) This relates to projects which bridges more than one parliamentary constituency.
	An additional £8,621,404 was provided during the period 2000–04 but could not be allocated by parliamentary constituency.
	Financial assistance to accommodation projects was funded by the NITB up until March 2002. Since April 2002 this assistance has been administered through Invest NI.

FSA Eat Well Campaign

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the Food Standards Agency Eat Well campaign; and how much of this money was spent on each aspect of expenditure on the campaign.

Melanie Johnson: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that a total of £64,999 has been spent on the FSA's campaign to promote the "eatwell" website (February 2005), www.eatwell.gov.uk, to a total targeted audience of 2.5 million people. This total splits as follows:
	Design work and print: £23,646
	Inserts in four targeted women's magazines (Woman, Woman's Own, Now and Hello whose readers demonstrate medium/high internet usage): £40,531
	Mailings to health promotion units, dieticians and nutritionists and colleges: £822.

GP Service (Southend)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have registered with general practitioners in Southend in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not collect information on the numbers of people newly registered with general practitioners. Information is collected only on the total number of patients registered. This is shown in the table.
	
		Patients of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs) 1 for specified organisations; 1997–2003 numbers (headcount)
		
			   of which: 
			  Essex Southend-on-Sea Primary Care Trust Southend-on-Sea Primary Care Group 
		
		
			  Q03 5AK 4KH89 
			 1997 1,603,543 n/a n/a 
			 1998 1,618,117 n/a n/a 
			 1999 1,640,784 n/a 173,529 
			 2000 1,648,879 n/a 174,881 
			 2001 1,641,100 174,263 n/a 
			 2002 1,646,695 173,457 n/a 
			 2003 1,690,519 177,522 n/a 
		
	
	(57) UPEs include general medical service (QMS) unrestricted principals, personal medical service (PMS) contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	Note:
	2003 Patient data has been revised from previously published figures.
	Data as at 1 October 1997–99 and 30 September 2000–03.
	n/a = not applicable.
	Source:
	Department of Health QMS and PMS statistics.

Mr. W. A. Wood

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the position of Mr. W. A. Wood of Solihull on the waiting list for hearing appliances with Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull Hospital Hearing Department.

Stephen Ladyman: Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull National Health Service Trust has advised Mr. Wood of his appointment.

NICE Appraisal

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued on the use by NHS trusts of treatments within a class of treatments during the period of the appraisal of that class of treatments by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and what steps are taken to ensure that guidance is followed.

Rosie Winterton: Health Service Circular 1999/176, issued in August 1999, indicates that national health service bodies should continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is not available at the time the technology first becomes available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of the available evidence on clinical effectiveness.
	Following the Department's "Shifting the Balance of Power" initiative, responsibility for local health services lies with the local NHS. It is now for primary care trusts, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to plan, develop and improve services for local people in accordance with national standards that include following NICE guidance.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase expenditure on treatment of prostate cancer.

Melanie Johnson: Funding for cancer services is included in primary care trust (PCT) baselines. It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities. Their decisions need to be based on the specialised knowledge they have of the local community, this includes the need for treatment of prostate cancer in their area. 80 per cent., of funding is devolved to PCT level.
	There are a number of initiatives under way to improve treatment of prostate cancers as set out in "Making Progress on Prostate Cancer", published in November 2004. PCTs will need to take any funding implications of these initiatives into account. Copies of "Making Progress on Prostate Cancer" are available in the Library.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long the waiting time is for treatment for prostate cancer at the Leicester General Hospital; and what the equivalent time was in 2004.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available in the format requested. Data is not available centrally on waiting times for all cancer patients. A two week out-patient waiting time standard from urgent general practitioner referral with suspected cancer to first out-patient appointment with a specialist was introduced in 2000.
	At the University Hospitals of Leicester national health service trust in the last quarter, quarter 2 of 2004–05, 100 per cent. of urgent referrals for suspected urological cancers, including prostate cancer, were seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their GP. The same performance was achieved for quarter 2 of 2003–04.
	The NHS cancer plan sets out our strategy to reduce waiting times for cancer patients. From 2005, all cancer patients will wait a maximum of one month from diagnosis to treatment and two months from urgent referral for suspected cancer to treatment except for a good clinical reason or through patient choice. Data on achievement of NHS cancer plan waiting times targets are published for strategic health authorities and trusts on the Department's website at http://www. performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the expenditure on major information campaigns and advertising commissioned by the Department's communications directorate for the financial years 1995–96 to 2004–05 (estimated). The figures include the costs of campaign-related publishing, television, radio, poster, newspaper and magazine advertising.
	There have been a number of new campaigns since 1999–2000. These include:
	Tobacco control—1999–2000
	Flu immunisation—2000–01
	Social care/worker recruitment—2001–02
	Sexual health—2002–03 to date.
	The tobacco control campaign was launched in December 1999. Expenditure has increased from £15.5 million (total campaign) in 1999–2000 to £27.5 million (estimated) in 2004–05 as shown in the table.
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Total campaign expenditure (all campaigns) Tobacco control campaign Advertising expenditure (all campaigns) Tobacco control campaign 
		
		
			 1996–97 15.13 — 2.50 — 
			 1997–98 6.63 — 2.04 — 
			 1998–99 22.96 — 8.53 — 
			 1999–2000 35.97 15.5 15.17 6.18 
			 2000–01 25.32 13.73 20.80 8.97 
			 2001–02 37.23 12.3 20.41 7.79 
			 2002–03 34.85 11.56 23.13 7.87 
			 2003–04 52.35 23.83 38.98 17.76 
			 2004–05 (estimated) 49.40 27.5 37.48 25.00 
		
	
	Future expenditure has not been decided yet.

Child Support

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in assisting Jane Green, the constituent of the hon. Member for Stafford, in securing the payment of child support for her daughter from the father in Tobago.

David Lammy: The United Kingdom is a signatory to several international conventions for the cross-border recovery of maintenance, including the recognition and enforcement of existing maintenance decisions made by courts in the UK. Trinidad and Tobago is not a signatory to any of these conventions.
	The UK's arrangement with Trinidad and Tobago in this field is based on what is often referred to as the "Commonwealth scheme", which dates back to 1920 and effectively operates on the basis that the judicial systems of Commonwealth countries are—in general—sufficiently similar to allow maintenance orders made in the courts of one jurisdiction to be registered and enforced in the courts of another jurisdiction. Since there is no treaty regulating these arrangements, however, there is no formal mechanism by which the authorities of the initiating jurisdiction can put pressure on the authorities of the receiving jurisdiction if things go wrong or if a lengthy delay occurs.
	This particular application was to register and enforce an English maintenance order in Trinidad and Tobago, and the application was first made in February 2002. The Trinidad and Tobago authorities acknowledged the application in October 2002, and the Department has forwarded correspondence and sent follow-up letters and email reminders to the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago at approximately two-month intervals ever since.
	The Trinidad and Tobago authorities have responded at various times with hearing dates that were subsequently adjourned, and—in June 2003—with news that the respondent had lodged an appeal against the English order being registered and enforced in Trinidad and Tobago. The last information received from the Trinidad and Tobago authorities was that a date was awaited for the matter to come before the Court of Appeal.
	The Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is aware of our concern at the significant delays that have occurred in this case, but my Department is unable to intervene in the affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, nor to insist on a timeframe in which this matter should be resolved.
	Officials in my Department do continue, however, to seek clarification from the Trinidad and Tobago authorities of the present state of the matter, and in particular the grounds of the respondent's appeal and whether a date has been set for the appeal hearing.
	More generally, efforts are under way internationally to improve the system of dealing with cross-border maintenance claims. The UK is taking an active part in this work, and we would hope that as many countries as possible are able to join in the new treaty arrangements in this area, once they are established.
	In the meantime, I shall be happy to write to the hon. Member with further details of my Department's efforts on behalf of his constituent.

Arms Exports (EU Code of Conduct)

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 171WS, on EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, what legal remedy through (a) national courts and (b) the European Court of Justice exists if an EU member state breaches the Code of Conduct.

Jack Straw: holding answer 3 March 2005
	The domestic consequences of a member state breaching its obligations under the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports will depend upon its national laws. For the UK, I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the written statement of 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 171WS. The EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports is not justiciable in the European Court of Justice.

Arms Exports (EU Code of Conduct)

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 171WS, on EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, what legal remedy exists if a supplier in an EU member state breaches the current arms embargo.

Jack Straw: holding answer 3 March 2005
	The EU embargo on the sale of arms to China reflects a political commitment by member states. It sets a high common standard for all member states' assessment of applications to export all items on the EU Common Military List. All EU member states have incorporated the Code of Conduct into their export licensing procedures, according to their national laws. There is no common interpretation of this commitment among member states. In the UK, exporters are required to seek a licence before exporting controlled goods or technology. A licence will not be issued if approval would be inconsistent with, inter alia, the UK's interpretation of the China embargo. The UK's interpretation of the embargo was set out by the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the late Derek Fatchett, in a reply on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 240–41 to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker). The legal penalty under the Export Control Act 2002 for exporting controlled goods or technology without a licence may be imprisonment for up to 10 years. I am sending the information the right hon. Gentleman requested on penalties which apply in other member states and placing a copy in the Library of the House.

Arms Exports (EU Code of Conduct)

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 171WS, on EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, whether the Code of Conduct will forbid the export to China of (a) machine guns, (b) large calibre weapons, (c) bombs, (d) torpedoes, (e) rockets, (f) missiles, (g) ammunition, (h) military aircraft, (i) helicopters, (j) vessels of war, (k) armoured fighting vehicles, (l) command and control systems and (m) logistics management systems.

Jack Straw: holding answer 3 March 2005
	The EU Code of Conduct sets a high standard for all member states' assessment of applications to export all item on the EU Common Military List. All EU member states have incorporated the Code of Conduct into their export licensing procedures, according to their national laws. The list includes all the items listed in the question, although some helicopters and logistics management systems may be purely for civil use, and therefore not licensable. To ask what specific equipment the code 'forbids' is to misunderstand the way it functions. The code obliges member states to refuse to license the export of any item on the list if, inter alia, there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression, aggressively against another country, or to assert by force a territorial claim. There is also a provision in the code which provides for denial of export licences for equipment which may affect "the national security of the UK, of territories whose external relations are the UK's responsibility, and of allies, EU member states and other friendly countries". The code applies to exports to China and all other countries, and has proved effective since its inception in 1998. It is the criteria in the Code of Conduct, rather than the Arms Embargo on China, which have formed the basis for the clear majority of the licence refusals made by EU member states in respect of China.

Kenya

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government have given to Kroll in its work to recover moneys obtained through corruption in Kenya.

Chris Mullin: None. I understand that Kroll has been engaged by the Government of Kenya. Neither the Government of Kenya nor the company have sought our assistance in identifying or recovering corruptly obtained money or assets in the UK.

Ministerial Visits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors determined his Department's selection of Lahore and Gujarat for inclusion in the itinerary of his 2005 South Asia tour; and what the cost was of including those destinations in the tour.

Jack Straw: I visited Lahore at the longstanding invitation of the Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, with whom I had a working dinner; the guests at which included a wide range of senior representatives from business, Government and the media. I also used the visit to deliver a keynote speech to an invited audience of over 200 in Pakistan's second largest city. The additional cost of the Lahore element was £14,116.
	I visited Gujrat in Pakistan's Punjab province to pursue consular and visa objectives, and to develop further the important people to people links between that part of Pakistan and the Pakistani communities in the UK. I was hosted in Gujrat by the Chief Minister of Punjab, whose home town it is, and I used the opportunity to develop my links with this important political family. The additional cost of the Gujrat element was £1,307.

Ministerial Visits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK Muslim community of the scheduling of Ministerial visits to Lahore and Gujarat.

Jack Straw: As is usual in respect of ministerial visits, no formal assessment has been made of the impact on the British Muslim community of my recent visit to Lahore and Gujrat in Pakistan, but it appears to have been well received by both the central and provincial governments, and by the media in Pakistan.

Ministerial Visits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who in his Department took the decision to include Lahore and Gujarat in the itinerary of his recent visit to South Asia.

Jack Straw: I made the decision to visit Lahore and Gujrat in Pakistan, as I had to visit Islamabad, taking into account advice from officials.

Benefits

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on (a) male and (b) female recipients of (i) the basic state pension, (ii) SERPS and (iii) pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Expenditure 2003–04 Male Female 
		
		
			 Basic state pension 16,872 22,907 
			 SERPS 4,694 1,984 
			 Pension credit 1,981 2,812 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for Great Britain and rounded to the nearest million.
	2. Expenditure is taken from departmental accounting systems, while the data to divide this between male and female recipients is taken from a 5 per cent. sample of benefit records and is subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	3. Expenditure on pension credit includes minimum income guarantee for April to September 2003.
	4. Benefit expenditure forecast information is published on the Internet at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp

Disabled People (Battersea)

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with disabilities in Battersea have returned to work in each of the last seven years.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of disabled people who have benefited from the new deal programmes in Battersea is shown in the following table.
	
		Number of disabled people who have entered work through the following new deal programmes in Battersea; new deal for young people; new deal 25 plus; new deal for lone parents;new deal 50 plus
		
			  Individuals into work 
		
		
			 October 1997-September 1998 0 
			 October 1998-September 1999 30 
			 October 1999-September 2000 30 
			 October 2000-September 2001 30 
			 October 2001-September 2002 20 
			 October 2002-September 2003 40 
			 October 2003-September 2004 20 
			 Total 170 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. New deal for partners information is only available at national level.
	2. New deal for young people started in January 1998; new deal 25 plus started in July 1998; new deal for lone parents started in October 1998; new deal 50 plus started in April 2000.
	3. New deal 50 plus information relates to the number of new deal 50 plus employment credit starts to March 2003. Information on the number of new deal 50 plus recorded job entries from April 2003 to September 2004 is not available at constituency level.
	4. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database
	Information on the new deal for disabled people is not available at constituency level so information has been provided for the Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth Jobcentre Plus district.
	
		Number of disabled people who have entered work through the new deal for disabled people (NDDP) in the Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth Jobcentre Plus district
		
			  Individuals into work 
		
		
			 July 2001–September 2001 0 
			 October 2001–September 2002 30 
			 October 2002–September 2003 130 
			 October 2003–September 2004 240 
			 Total 400 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. NDDP individuals into work figures relate to the number of individuals gaining NDDP job broker jobs and individuals gaining NDDP Jobcentre Plus jobs.
	2. The NDDP programme is available to people in receipt of a disability or health related benefit and started in July 2001.
	3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database
	In addition to new deal there are a number of programmes such as Access to Work, Work Preparation and WORKSTEP designed to help disabled people return to work. Details of the number of people helped to return to work through these programmes is not available at constituency or Jobcentre Plus district level.
	Jobcentre Plus also offers interviews with a personal adviser to all disabled people making new or repeat claims to qualifying benefits to ensure they are aware of the help and opportunities available to them.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by schemes in making data returns in relation to the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), broken down between those (a) that are on the list of those potentially eligible for inclusion in the FAS and (b) that are not.

Malcolm Wicks: No such estimate has been made. In practice the cost of providing the information requested will vary dependant on the quality and availability of individual scheme records. Recognising this, we have sought to keep our requirements to a minimum and are very grateful for the extensive co-operation we have received from independent trustees scheme administrators and the assistance in kind provided by the pensions industry.

Intensive Activity Pilot

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the private sector contractors supplying services relating to the intensive activity period pilot scheme for those aged between 50 and 59 years, broken down by jobcentre office areas.

Jane Kennedy: The information is in the table.
	
		Private sector contractors in pilot locations—new deal intensive activity 50–59 pilot
		
			 Jobcentre Plus district Training providers 
		
		
			 Calderdale and Kirklees CMS Vocational Training Limited Direct Training Limited S and S Training Services 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire CWT Focus Pathways JHP Group Limited Solutions (also known as Workworld). 
			 East Lancashire Training 2000 Limited 
			 Essex Seetec Business Technology Centre Limited 
			 Hampshire Bennington Training Services 
			 The Marches Training and Contracting Services Vale Training and Development 
			 Dorset and Somerset Paragon Training 
			 Suffolk Pelcombe Training Limited Seetec Business Technology Centre Limited 
			 Derbyshire Seetec Business Technology Centre Limited Spire 
			 Highlands, Islands and Clyde Coast Microcom (Glasgow) Limited Nevis Training Centre 
			 Ayrshire, Dumfries, Galloway and Inverclyde Lowland Training Services Limited Microcom (Glasgow) Limited 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The pilot is also operating in Bridgend, Leicestershire and Gateshead. There are no private sector providers in these locations.
	2. Some providers may not yet have provided services to pilot participants, but may be required to do so during the pilot.
	Source:
	DWP Provision and Adviser Division; DWP Partnerships Division

Means-tested Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of incapacity benefit and other means-tested benefits paid to incapacity benefit recipients was in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 4 March 2005
	The information is in the following table.
	
		Benefit expenditure on incapacity benefit recipients 2003–04
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Incapacity benefit 6,718 
			 Severe disablement allowance 763 
			 Income support 3,679 
			 Housing benefit 2,188 
			 Council tax benefit 444 
			 Total 13,791 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest million pounds.
	2. Figures for income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit include expenditure for people receiving incapacity benefit credits and a small amount of money paid to disabled people who do not receive incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance.
	3. Figures do not include pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit paid to people between the ages of 60 and 64.
	4. Figures exclude severe disablement allowance for people over state pension age.
	5. Figures may not sum due to rounding
	Source:
	DWP expenditure tables.

Means-tested Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of income support for claimants of the disability premium and other means-tested benefits which are drawn by these claimants was in the last year for which figures are available.

Chris Pond: holding answer 4 March 2005
	It is not possible to accurately state the cost of income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit for claimants of the disability premium. The available information is in the table.
	
		Income related benefit expenditure for people under 60 years of age and classed as long-term sick or disabled
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Income support 4,621 
			 Housing benefit 3,009 
			 Council tax benefit 660 
			 Total 8,290 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest million pounds.
	2. Figures quoted are for 2003–04 are estimated outturn.
	Source:
	DWP expenditure tables—pre-Budget report 2004.

Pension Credit

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receiving pension credit have earnings.

Malcolm Wicks: As at August 2004, the latest date for which this information is available, there were 21,300 households in Great Britain in receipt of pension credit in which the claimant or a partner was receiving earnings. These households comprised 35,000 individuals.
	Notes
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. Individuals may include a small number of partners under the age of 60. 4. For couples, earnings are either the claimant's or the partners' earnings.
	Source
	IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions, 5 per cent. sample.

Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Midlothian were paid compensation under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) 1979 Act in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is that during the period April 2003 to March 2004, a total of 1,501 awards were made in Great Britain. Of these 255 were made to people resident in Scotland. During the period April 2004 to February 2005 the total awards were 1,422, of which 220 were made to Scottish residents.

Sure Start (Battersea)

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers have received the Sure Start maternity grant in the Jobcentre Plus district which includes Battersea.

Chris Pond: Battersea is included in the Jobcentre Plus district of Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth. This district was created for Social Fund purposes in January 2004.
	
		Sure Start maternity grants made in Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth Jobcentre Plus district
		
			  Number of awards 
		
		
			 2003–04 January to March 1,162 
			 2004–05 April to January 3,650 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data are given for all awards, irrespective of whether the award was made to the mother or her partner.
	2. Data for 2003–04 include awards made in January 2004 which covered the relevant area before the district was formally created for Social Fund purposes.
	Source:
	DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System

Asylum and Immigration

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the integration of asylum seekers into local communities in Glasgow.

Des Browne: My hon. Friend will appreciate that the people who know best are local agencies and authorities in Glasgow. The Scottish Refugee Council works to bring asylum seekers, refugees and local people together to improve their communities and this work has been commended in an independent report by the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice entitled "Building Bridges: Local Responses to the Resettlement of Asylum Seekers in Glasgow". I would commend its contents to him. I would like to mention as well, the work undertaken by Glasgow city council since 2000 and I very much hope the partnership between MASS and the council will continue. Partnership working to provide an effective system of support for asylum seekers is essential, not only for asylum seekers but also to ensure continued community cohesion.

Asylum and Immigration

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many measures the UK has opted into under title IV of the EC treaty covering visas, asylum, immigration and movement of persons.

Des Browne: The Government's position remains unchanged since 1999 when the treaty of Amsterdam, including our title IV protocol came into effect. The UK retains the right to opt in to EU asylum and immigrations measures. Where measures are in our interest we will opt in.
	To date, our records show that we have opted in to:
	Eight measures related to Dublin and Eurodac arrangements which enable us to return asylum seekers to the European Union member state responsible for determining their claim;
	11 negotiating mandates for European Community readmission agreements with third countries and four resulting readmission agreements that have been finalised to date. The aim of these agreements is to facilitate the return of third country nationals who do not or no longer have a basis to remain in the territory of member states;
	Four minimum standards measures in the field of asylum, which the UK already adheres to;
	11 measures on illegal immigration contributing to increased security of the European Union's borders;
	Two measures relating to the format of visas.

Asylum and Immigration

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there has been to the average time taken to process initial asylum applications in each year since 2000.

Des Browne: Information on the timeliness of initial decisions on new substantive cases is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum and Immigration

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce compulsory testing of immigrants for (a) HIV and (b) tuberculosis.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 24 February 2005
	As we made clear in our five year strategy for asylum and immigration 'Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain' (Cm 6472), our approach to the prevention of the communication of diseases through migration is based on expert advice on protecting the nation's health. We will accordingly target health screening for tuberculosis in high-risk areas at the entry clearance stage; those who are diagnosed with it would then need to seek treatment at home before being allowed to enter the UK.
	HIV, unlike tuberculosis, is not airborne, so the public health issues it raises are different. However, the case for extending routine health checks to diseases other than tuberculosis is kept under review.

Antisocial Behaviour

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to visit the Vale of York to discuss problems relating to antisocial behaviour.

Hazel Blears: There are no current plans for Home Office Ministers to visit the Vale of York to discuss antisocial behaviour.
	However, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary visited Hambleton and Thirsk on February 11 2005.
	Whilst he was there he visited the Clock Project in Thirsk, a youth drop-in centre with multi agency support linked to antisocial behaviour and to "prevent and deter" strand of the Prolific and Priority Offenders Strategy.
	He also met with manager and chair of the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership.

Abuse (False Allegations)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last five years the police have enforced a criminal sanction against an individual who has made a false allegation of abuse.

Paul Goggins: Defendants charged for making false allegations are likely to be proceeded against for "perverting the course of justice". It is not possible from the information held on the Home Office Court Proceedings database to identify from the number of defendants proceeded against for "perverting the course of justice", what number were for false allegations of abuse, as the circumstances of the offence are not collected centrally.

Crime (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many burglaries have been reported to (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to a (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction;
	(2)  how many vehicle thefts have been reported to (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to a (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction;
	(3)  how many assaults have been reported to (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction;
	(4)  how many violence against the person offences have been reported to (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction;
	(5)  how many violent crimes have been reported to (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction;
	(6)  how many sexual offences have been reported to (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction;
	(7)  how many robberies have been reported to (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to a (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction;
	(8)  how many (a) fraud and (b) forgery offences have been reported to (i) Essex police and (ii) Southend police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to a (A) prosecution and (B) conviction.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the tables. Tables 1 and 2 give the number of offences recorded by the police in the Essex police force area and the Southend Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area. Recorded crime data is published on a financial year basis and data at CDRP level is only available for six key offences for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 but for all offences from 2001–02.
	Tables 3 and 4 give the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty in the Essex police force area and South East Essex petty sessional area. Court proceedings data is published on a calendar year basis. Data for 2004 will not be available until the autumn.
	Because recorded crime deals with offences and court proceedings deals with defendants, the two data sets are not directly comparable.
	
		Table 1: Offences recorded by the police by various offence types, 1997–98 to 2001–02 -- Number of offences
		
			  Burglary Theft of a vehicle Common assault Violence against the person Violent crime(62) Sexual offences Robbery Fraud Forgery 
		
		
			 Essex police force area   
			 1997–98(63) 15,839 797 n/a 4,806 6,016 783 427 2,321 137 
			 1998–99(64) 14,997 7,414 1,478 8,043 9,443 877 523 4,207 159 
			 1999–2000 14,967 7,174 3,220 9,879 11,480 975 626 5,339 131 
			 2000–01 14,889 6,826 3,344 10,680 12,232 852 700 6,455 160 
			 2001–02 14,472 7,505 4,332 11,896 13,703 887 920 6,518 193 
			   
			 Southend Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area 
			 1997–98 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998–99 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999–2000 n/a 1,013 n/a 1,463 1,786 157 166 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 n/a 863 n/a 1,414 1,697 135 148 n/a n/a 
			 2001–02 1,439 810 479 1,444 1,800 139 217 649 16 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(62) Includes offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	(63) The number of crimes recorded using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998.
	(64) The number of crimes recorded using the expanded coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
	Note:
	The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Offences recorded by the police by various offence types, 2002–03 and 2003–04 Number of offences
		
			  Burglary Theft of a vehicle Common assault Violence against the person Violent crime(65) Sexual offences Robbery Fraud Forgery 
		
		
			 Essex police force area  
			 2002–03 16,909 7,664 3,559 22,090 24,583 1,165 1,328 7,471 263 
			 2003–04 16,467 7,283 4,050 26,010 28,782 1,296 1,476 7,163 307 
			   
			 Southend Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area 
			 2002–03 1,994 668 321 3,043 3,551 195 313 596 38 
			 2003–04 1,643 746 244 3,253 3,849 188 408 802 49 
		
	
	(65) Includes offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	
		Table 3: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for various offences, 1997 to 2003 1
		
			  Burglary Theft of a vehicle Common assault Violence against the person Violent crime(67) 
			  Proceeded against Found guilty(68) Proceeded against Found guilty(68) Proceeded against Found guilty(68) Proceeded against Found guilty(68) Proceeded against Found guilty(68) 
		
		
			 Essex police force area   
			 1997 995 598 560 311 956 550 1,443 647 1,774 819 
			 1998 920 581 562 357 1,270 748 1,468 637 1,851 824 
			 1999 828 533 585 319 1,368 793 1,454 622 1,814 792 
			 2000 837 436 599 348 1,475 732 1,361 569 1,665 728 
			 2001 717 403 517 327 1,472 769 1,547 613 1,940 759 
			 2002 680 405 575 381 1,473 845 1,298 618 1,705 792 
			 2003 648 410 547 362 1,565 898 1,471 702 1,828 863 
			
			 South East Essex petty sessional area(69)  
			 1997 246 163 118 57 263 149 394 158 468 192 
			 1998 248 159 138 65 366 198 421 171 497 200 
			 1999 211 138 150 77 328 203 353 162 422 194 
			 2000 147 107 129 80 348 159 290 127 341 151 
			 2001 157 102 98 60 357 190 351 120 412 144 
			 2002 130 70 95 62 309 186 292 145 386 172 
			 2003 137 89 91 61 342 199 323 147 408 178 
		
	
	(66) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(67) Includes: Violence against the person, Sexual offences and Robbery.
	(68) For South East Essex PSA the guilty figures include those found guilty at the Crown court where South East Essex PSA was the committing court.
	(69) Covers Southend and includes some parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.
	
		Table 4: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for various offences, 1997 to 2003 1
		
			  Sexual offences Robbery Fraud Forgery 
			  Proceeded against Found guilty(71) Proceeded against Found guilty(71) Proceeded against Found guilty(71) Proceeded against Found guilty(71) 
		
		
			 Essex police force area 
			 1997 194 112 137 60 528 355 314 226 
			 1998 220 101 163 86 558 361 300 217 
			 1999 228 81 132 89 508 347 231 173 
			 2000 151 81 153 78 544 324 234 176 
			 2001 195 66 198 80 505 321 304 223 
			 2002 201 79 206 95 483 316 249 176 
			 2003 186 77 171 84 442 321 191 149 
			 South East Essex petty sessional area(72) 
			 1997 41 19 33 15 120 78 81 58 
			 1998 38 10 38 19 115 64 68 52 
			 1999 41 15 28 17 114 83 53 40 
			 2000 23 12 28 12 120 79 57 35 
			 2001 30 11 31 13 100 60 65 50 
			 2002 45 12 49 15 91 54 39 26 
			 2003 33 15 52 16 78 56 33 25 
		
	
	(70) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(71) For South East Essex PSA the guilty figures include those found guilty at the Crown court where South East Essex PSA was the committing court.
	(72) Covers Southend and includes some parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.

Community Support Officers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used the power to maintain and enforce a cordoned area established under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001;
	(2)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used their power to request a name and address for fixed penalty offences and offences that cause injury, alarm and distress to another person or damage or loss of another's property;
	(3)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used their power to request the name and address of a person acting in an antisocial manner;
	(4)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used their power to save life or limb, or to prevent serious damage to property;
	(5)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used their power to seize vehicles used to cause alarm and distress;
	(6)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used their powers to (i) require the removal of abandoned vehicles, (ii) stop vehicles for the purpose of a road check, (iii) stop and search vehicles and remove items carried by drivers or passengers under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and items carried by pedestrians, (iv) regulate traffic for the purpose of escorting abnormal loads and (v) stop a vehicle for emissions testing;
	(7)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used their power to request a person to stop drinking in a designated public area and to surrender open containers of alcohol;
	(8)  how many times in each year since their inception (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers have used their powers to (i) confiscate alcohol from a young person and (ii) confiscate cigarettes and tobacco products from a young person;
	(9)  how many fixed penalty notices for dog fouling, littering and riding on footpaths have been issued by (a) Essex and (b) Southend community support officers in each year since their inception.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available. It is for the chief constable of Essex police to determine the duties of community support officers in Essex and to designate under the relevant legislation which powers they may exercise.

Community Support Officers

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers are working in Wandsworth; and how many there will be in April 2005.

Hazel Blears: I am told by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Sir Ian Blair QPM) that the Wandsworth borough Operational Command Unit had 32 community support officers (CSOs) on 1 March and that it is the intention that the borough should have 44 CSOs by 31 March 2005.
	The allocation of CSOs to each of the London borough Operational Command Units is a matter for the Commissioner to decide.

Crime Statistics (Leicester, South)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) crimes, (b) burglaries, (c) thefts and (d) vehicle-related crimes were reported to the police in Leicester, South in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the tables. Leicester, South comes within the Leicester Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area and data at CDRP level has only been collected from 1999–2000.
	Table 1 gives figures for burglary and vehicle-related thefts for the Leicester CDRP from 1999–2000 to 2001–02. Figures for all crime and other thefts were not collected during these periods.
	Table 2 gives all the figures requested for 2002–03 and 2003–04. Because of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002, figures from this date are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	
		Table 1: Offences recorded by the police in the Leicester Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area 1999–2000 to 2001–02 Number of offences
		
			  Burglary Vehicle related thefts 
		
		
			 1999–2000 4,287 8,489 
			 2000–01 3,391 7,349 
			 2001–02 3,317 7,774 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Offences recorded by the police in the Leicester Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area 2002–03 and 2003–04 Number of offences
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Total crime(74) 48,357 47,376 
			 Burglary 3,379 3,077 
			 Theft(75) 4,532 4,271 
			 Vehicle related thefts 8,056 6,558 
		
	
	(74) Relates to all offences recorded in the Leicester CORP.
	(75) Excluding vehicle-related thefts.
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the results of the liaison between the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Historical Abuse Appeals Panel.

Paul Goggins: This is an internal matter for the Commission. I understand there have been several meetings between representatives of the Commission and the Historical Abuse Appeals Panel. Relevant issues have been discussed and a protocol for co-operation between the two organisations has been drafted.

Departmental Policies

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the Croydon Central constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the Croydon Central constituency.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government has put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the Croydon central constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.
	For example, between March 1997 and September 2004, the number of police officers in the Metropolitan Police Force increased by 3,434 from 26,677 to 30,111. The Government's introduction of community support officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 1,889 CSOs on Metropolitan Police Force streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, the Metropolitan Police Force Area has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 23 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of one per cent.
	The Metropolitan Police Service (MRS) will receive £1,927.8 million in general grants for 2005–06, an increase of 5.81 per cent. (£105.8 million) over 2004–05. The MPS also gains around £4.2 million from the Amending Report for 2003–04, bringing the overall increase to 6.04 per cent. General grants funding to the MPS has increased by 28 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, the MPS will also receive around £207 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives and capital provision in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the Police Authority and the chief constable.
	As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour.
	The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering Government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. Five CCTV projects in the Croydon CDRP area received a total of £964,986 from the CRP.
	Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £2.16 million has been allocated to Croydon CDRP under these initiatives. A further £2.5 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office Regional Director in London for CDRP capacity building across the region.
	It is estimated that out of a million active offenders, 100,000 have three or more convictions and are responsible for half of all crime. There is a Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) scheme in Croydon set up to target those offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour in the community.
	The Government's Crime Reduction Website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.
	New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Croydon a total of 27 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued as of 1 March 2005. Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp
	Tackling Drug Misuse is a priority of this Government and its policy is set out in the 10 year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the Library.) Under this, the Government has invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focusing on the four strands of:
	reducing the supply of illegal drugs;
	preventing young people from becoming problematic drug users;
	providing effective treatment to all who need it; and
	reducing drug-related crime.
	Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Croydon has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drug Interventions Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Croydon Drug Action Team amounted to £2.11 million, rising to £3.44 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the Croydon central constituency can be obtained from the Croydon Drugs Action Team, for contact details see http://www. drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams
	The Government is working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the futurebuilders fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk
	This year, 2005, is the year of the Volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org
	Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08 available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Illegal Immigrants (Albanians)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Albanian nationals have been deported from the United Kingdom in each of the last three years.

Des Browne: The latest available information on the number of Albanian nationals removed from the UK as a result of deportation action in each of the last three years is shown in the table.
	
		Albanian nationals deported from the UK, 2002 to 2004 1,2
		
			  Total 
		
		
			 2002 n/a 
			 2003 2 
			 2004(77) 8 
		
	
	n/a = Information not available.
	(76) These figures are based on management information and are not National Statistics.
	(77) Data for 2004 are provisional.

Police Numbers

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent police officers there are per 1,000 residents of (a) England, (b) Avon and Somerset police area and (c) south Gloucestershire; and how many there were in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1997.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 24 February 2005
	The latest information on police strength wards published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 13/04 "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 31 March 2004".
	The requested information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer strength Strength per 100,000 population 
		
		
			 31 March 2004(79)   
			 England 130,988 264 
			 Avon and Somerset 3,417 229 
			 South Gloucestershire(80) 267 108 
			
			 31 March 1997   
			 England 118,459 242 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,989 204 
			 South Gloucestershire(80) — — 
			 31 March 1979   
			 England 103,574 224 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,825 212 
			 South Gloucestershire(80) — — 
		
	
	(79) Not comparable with previous years data. Includes staff on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave.
	(80) Figures for south Gloucestershire not collected before 31 March 2002.

Prison/Employer Links

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to encourage links between prisons and local employers.

Paul Goggins: The National Offender Management Service is developing a joint prison probation strategy for establishing and maintaining links with employers. These links are focused on sectors that have significant labour shortages nationally and regionally, such as construction, catering, industrial cleaning, utilities, sports and fitness, driving and distribution. Opportunities are also being explored in horticulture and information communication technology. These sectors were identified following consultation with the Confederation of British Industry, Jobcentre Plus and Sector Skills Council.
	The Prison Service is taking the lead on a cross Government work programme for engaging with employers which has been agreed by the Employment, Training and Education Sub-Board of the Reducing Re-offending Programme Board. This work programme includes officials from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), the Probation Service, Jobcentre Plus, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Learning and Skills Council. National and local employers will be invited to be involved as the work programme develops. Its aim is to build on existing work to encourage employers to contribute to the training of offenders and to commit to the recruitment of those who achieve an agreed level of skills.
	At a local level, employer links are being developed and maintained through the Heads of Learning and Skills and Resettlement Managers in establishments. They work closely with Jobcentre Plus, Learning and Skills Councils and voluntary organisations to involve employers in work and training programmes for prisoners and to encourage them to recruit prisoners on their release. From April 2005 the Learning and Skills Councils will assume responsibility for the skills training of all offenders, and will be seeking to meet local labour market needs. This will increase opportunities for linking with employers at a local level.
	The Prison Service is currently developing an employer database, holding information on employers who are willing and able to offer work to ex-offenders. This will enable prison to access information about employment opportunities in their local area, and also nationally to assist prisoners who are held at establishments outside their home areas.

Prisoners (Art)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to ensure that different parties involved in the arts work closely together to increase the range, quantity and quality of activities for prisoners.

Paul Goggins: Activities being undertaken by arts organisations in prisons and the community are well documented for all key stakeholders in the Directory of Arts Activities in Prisons, which has been produced annually by the Unit for Arts and Offenders with financial support from the Department for Education and Skills. The Unit also produces a regular e-mail newsletter for arts organisations working with offenders, hosts a Forum for Arts and Offenders and provides training to artists wanting to work with prisoners. The Unit for Arts and Offenders will be members of the newly formed National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Voluntary and Community Sector Advisory Group.
	Arts for offenders are supported through the curriculum in prisons and through financial support provided centrally to several national arts organisations to actively promote arts activities in prisons. Most prisons now have a Head of Learning and Skills, funded by the Department for Education and Skills, and they will determine the part that arts activities and arts organisations can play within the establishment. At a major prison Arts conference last year to celebrate and promote arts activities for offenders, a guide was launched for Heads of Learning and Skills and Managers in the Voluntary Sectors on provision of voluntary sector activities in prisons. This includes a consistent and joint approach to joint working on setting up, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of provision.

Sentencing

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the punishments available for those found to have perverted the course of justice.

Paul Goggins: Perverting the course of justice is a common law offence, so there is no set maximum or minimum penalty available to the court. Common law offences are ones which are not embodied in statute; they consist of rules of law based upon common custom and usage, and on judicial judgments.
	In 2003, 1,391 persons were found guilty of perverting the course of justice. 608 (43.7 per cent.) received a custodial sentence and the average sentence length was 8.8 months. Further information is given in the table.
	
		Persons proceeded against and those found guilty of offences of perverting the course of justice, by outcome—England and Wales Number of persons
		
			  2002 2003 
		
		
			 Sex T T 
			 Persons proceeded against 2,646 2,396 
			 Persons found guilty 1,549 1,391 
			 Sentence breakdown   
			 Absolute/conditional discharge 43 53 
			 Fine 39 43 
			 Average fine amount (£) 438 789 
			 Community sentence 683 636 
			 Fully suspended sentence 44 46 
			 Immediate custody 737 608 
			 Average(81) custodial sentence length (months) 7.0 8.8 
			 Otherwise dealt with 3 5 
		
	
	(81) Excluding life sentences (one imposed on a male in 2003) Figures relate to persons where the offence was their principal offence.
	Source:
	RDS-NOMS

Terrorism (Arrests)

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 301, how many of those arrested post-11 September 2001 in connection with terrorist activity were (a) released without charge, (b) charged, and with what crimes, (c) convicted and given custodial sentences, (d) convicted and given non-custodial sentences and (e) candidates for deportation.

Hazel Blears: Statistics provided to the Home Office by the Police on arrests and charges from 11 September 2001 until 31 December 2004 under the Terrorism Act 2000 are on the Home Office website at www. homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk/terrorism/. (These are compiled from recent police records and are therefore subject to change as cases go through the system.)
	Key facts and statistics:
	Police records show that from 11 September 2001 until 31 December 2004, 701 people were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.
	Charges:
	119 of these were charged under the Act. Of these, 45 were also charged with offences under other legislation.
	135 were charged under other legislation. This includes charges for terrorist offences that are already covered in general criminal law such as murder, grievous bodily harm and use of firearms or explosives.
	Convictions:
	17 Individuals have been convicted of offences under the Terrorism Act.
	Other information:
	The following table gives the outcome for those not covered above:
	
		
			 Outcome Number 
		
		
			 Transferred to immigration authorities 59 
			 On bail to return 22 
			 Cautioned 7 
			 Dealt with under mental health legislation 7 
			 Awaiting extradition 1 
			 Returned to prison service custody 1 
			 Released without charge 351 
		
	
	More detailed information is not held by the Home Office.
	Home Office Research Development and Statistics publish a Command Paper and supplementary volumes of criminal statistics annually. A breakdown of prosecutions and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000 for 2001, 2002 and 2003 are in the accompanying tables. Figures for 2004 will not be available until later in the year.

Traffic Enforcement Officers

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) traffic enforcement officers, (b) traffic wardens and (c) council parking attendants were operating in each police authority area in each year since 2002–03.

Hazel Blears: Information on traffic enforcement officers and council parking attendants is not collected centrally. The statistics for traffic wardens are given in the table.
	
		Traffic wardens by police force area: 2002–03 and 2003–04 Number of wardens
		
			 Force 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 43 34 
			 Bedfordshire 2 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 35 17 
			 Cheshire 19 15 
			 Cleveland 7 8 
			 Cumbria 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 48 43 
			 Devon and Cornwall 103 102 
			 Dorset 0 0 
			 Durham 15 4 
			 Dyfed-Powys 13 10 
			 Essex 38 21 
			 Gloucestershire 31 21 
			 Greater Manchester 88 88 
			 Gwent 27 25 
			 Hampshire 25 23 
			 Hertfordshire 38 9 
			 Humberside 48 46 
			 Kent 0 0 
			 Lancashire 50 17 
			 Leicestershire 61 51 
			 Lincolnshire 21 18 
			 London, City of 0 0 
			 Merseyside 52 43 
			 Metropolitan police 687 505 
			 Norfolk 33 31 
			 Northamptonshire 7 5 
			 Northumbria 59 56 
			 North Wales 7 5 
			 North Yorkshire 0 10 
			 Nottinghamshire 29 33 
			 South Wales 99 92 
			 South Yorkshire 68 37 
			 Staffordshire 10 1 
			 Suffolk 25 25 
			 Surrey 17 8 
			 Sussex 61 67 
			 Thames Valley 42 36 
			 Warwickshire 9 8 
			 West Mercia 15 13 
			 West Midlands 74 72 
			 West Yorkshire 98 85 
			 Wiltshire 7 5 
			 Total 2,108 1,688

Violent Crime

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he plans to introduce to reduce the level of violent crime.

Paul Goggins: British Crime Survey figures—the most reliable long-term indicator of underlying trends in violence—indicate that the level of violent crime has fallen by 36 per cent. since 1995, when there was a peak of over 4 million violent incidents, and by 26 per cent. since 1997.
	The Government have taken action to ensure better policing and better prevention and protection against crime. At the end of August 2004, there were nearly 140,000 police officers in service, an all-time record. The Street Crime Initiative, launched in 2002 in 10 police force areas to tackle robbery, secured a 17 per cent. reduction in robberies in those areas in the first year. The levels of robbery have continued to fall, with the number of recorded robberies in the year to September 2004 down by 18 per cent. compared to the previous 12 month period.
	Nevertheless, the Government continue to take the issue of violent crime and the impact it has on people's lives very seriously. That is why we have introduced a number of measures to tackle violent crime, and will continue to do so.
	Almost half of all violent crime is alcohol-related and the Home Office, jointly with the Department of Health, are tackling this through the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy which was announced on 15 March 2004. There have since been two Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns led by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers, the first in 92 police areas in the summer of 2004 and the second in 180 police areas during the Christmas and new year period.
	The two campaigns focused on tackling violent and disorderly behaviour by drunken troublemakers and the illegal sale and consumption of alcohol by under-18s. During the most recent campaign, the police and their partners visited over 31,000 licensed premises, carried out "sting" operations in nearly 1,000 of these, issued over 4,000 fixed penalty notices for alcohol-related offences, made over 6,000 arrests and confiscated alcohol from over 2,800 adults and juveniles. Further campaigns of this kind will be held.
	We are also running the Tackling Violent Crime Programme in six police force areas. This programme aims to help local areas reduce violent crime and improve local partnership working.
	On 21 January we published a number of proposals in a consultation document, "Drinking Responsibly". These include the introduction of:
	"Alcohol Disorder Zones", with costs recovered from the pubs and bars which cause the most disorder;
	an immediate 24-hour banning order on the sale of alcohol for premises found to be persistently selling alcohol to underage drinkers; and
	"Drinking Banning Orders" for persons issued with three fixed penalty notices or three alcohol or disorder-related convictions, excluding them from pubs and bars within a specified period for a fixed period of time.
	We are also taking action against other types of violent crime. The fight against domestic violence will be reinforced in July 2005 when the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 takes effect. Courts will have greater powers to protect victims of domestic violence against further harassment by being able to issue restraining orders, even when a defendant has not been convicted.
	Finally, we recognise the damaging impact of hate crime on community cohesion and public perceptions of safety. We have introduced proposals to make incitement to religious hatred a criminal offence under the Serious and Organised Crime and Police Bill.